A Traveler Lost
by The-Beagle312
Summary: M for language and violence, not for the faint of heart. LEMONS in later chapters: Ashton was a coward, he ran and hid when his people needed him most. Now he walks the path of redemption with his allies by his side.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Fires of Change

The last city burned. Smoke rose from the many fires that raged untamed across the skyline, their orange glow illuminating the ruins of the once proud city. The twisting maze of streets and alleyways were in chaos and the lumbering shades of Cabal ships hung in the sky, their forms obscured by the pall of smoke that covered the city. They circled like vultures and dropped Cabal reinforcements wherever an ounce of resistance sought to stand against them.

Their slow, lumbering movements as they cut across the mid-morning sky was in stark contrast to the numerous firefights occurring in the streets below. Small groups of citizens and light-less guardians fought under the gaze of their restrained god, its once pure white exterior covered by a black carapace. Even in its captured state it dominated the sky, even now providing a trickle of light to the beaten and worn Guardians on the ground. Those who received it doing their best to beat back waves of Cabal soldiers, the enemy that had killed so many of their brothers and sisters.

Despite the best efforts of the hunters, titans and warlocks on the ground only a single guardian, the strongest of them all and sole bearer of the light, made it aboard the flagship above. He was their best and last hope at defeating Ghaul, and returning the city back to what it once was.

Even though their guardians had fallen, thousands of ghost's flitted through the numerous engagements on the ground, giving all they had to heal their once invincible guardians. Many wounds the light-less guardians might have once shrugged off, killed them where they stood. Brutal in their efficiency, The Red Legion slowly made ground against the defenders of the city.

The Last Guardian gazed down to the city below and witnessed his home burn. He clearly saw the front-line of Guardians being pushed steadily back, towards the towering walls that ringed the city. Outgunned and outmatched they fought on, giving all they had to simply slow the Legions inexorable advance. He tore his eyes away from the battle and focused forward, towards the keystone of the battle and their only chance at victory. Moving toward his goal, he began obliterating all that stood in his way. Laying a path of blood to Ghaul.

On the ground below the front-line began to slow and steadily came to a halt. The Red Legion was stunned as the Guardians began fighting in unison, slowly breaking the uniform lines of Legionnaires and starting to make ground towards the center of the city, slowly crushing the enemy force against itself. A titan strode to the front and bellowed orders, his aura of courage reinvigorating the nearly broken lines of guardians and humans. He was a legend among legends, his name was Atlas, Slayer of Riksis. His battlefield awareness and tactical strategy converted the lone fire-teams of guardians into a more effective combined unit, that was making mincemeat of the Cabal offensive.

"Fight my brothers and sisters!" Gesturing to the guardians around him, "This is our city and I'll be damned if they take it from us!" He then pulled a sword of his back and swung it forward, its edge rippling with golden flames which deepened the shadows across his helm.

With a roar he charged forward, a simple battlecry leaving his lips "For the city!"

The massed lines of guardians answered in kind, and rushed forward as one, their combined footfalls obscuring the streets in a cloud of dust. Thousands of rounds were fired in seconds as guardians of all races and classes unleashed volleys of concentrated fire at the Legion in front of them. Even the rows of Phalanx shields could not hold against their combined efforts and the Cabal line slowly faltered, before shattering into a mass of individual units who quickly began retreating back to their dropships.

* * *

The guardian looked down from the cruiser and was stunned to see the Red Legion being pushed back. He stood for a moment, entranced by the bravery of his fellow Guardians, before returning his gaze forwards to the Dominus himself.

"They won't last long" His ghost whispered, shell drawing in tight against itself.

"I know" The guardian replied, his voice even and cold despite the chaos surrounding him, "we'll make it count".

After pushing through waves of Ghaul's elite the last guardian stood alone, facing down the usurper that stole the light. His resistance was the last obstacle in the way of Ghaul's ascension. The conquering Dominus himself stood upon his cruiser, bathed in the light he stole. It swirled around him in an untamed vortex, fueling his body and allowing him access to the powers of The Traveler. Immortality and power filled his being, as his grim visage split into a smile. Fighting in the streets dulled as the denizens of the city and the Cabal, watched with equal parts fear and awe as he harnessed the power of the light through sheer force of will and took it upon himself. The Last Guardian stood against him, a beacon to the light-less on the ground, and the only one who could still stop the Dominus before his completed his ascension.

"Ah, the light-bearer," Ghaul stepped out from the swirling vortex and gestured to The Guardian in front of him, "You have been quite the thorn in my side.. destroying the 'Almighty' was quite the accomplishment", he paused for a moment before turning to gaze at the Traveler, "However It was an effort in futility, you cannot hope to stop me now".

The Guardian looked down and sighed heavily, "Well, that never stopped me before"

Not waiting a moment longer he squared his shoulders and charged Ghaul, seeking to end the fight quickly as his own light reserves could not hope to last against Ghaul's almost incalculable stores. Ghaul answered the cry with a roar and charged right back, body literally glowing with a barely constrained power. The unkillable Dominus and the Last Guardian met with booming retort, which echoed across the battlefield below and broke the silence as the guardians on the ground resumed their pitched battle with the Red Legion

* * *

The duel above raged, Dominus against Legend, as flashes of void, arc and solar energy flashed across the sky, reflecting off the travelers covered form. The lights and sounds of the epic confrontation the only indication that any fight was happening at all.

All seemed lost until the echoes of battle finally disappeared into a crushing silence. It enveloped the city like a blanket and both sides waited for some sign of triumph. The city was completely silent for the first time in millennia, all waited with bated breath hoping that they would see their respective hero standing tall in victory. The suffocating silence was broken by the the defenders cries of victory. For standing above them was the small shadow of The Guardian outlined by the immensity of the Traveler behind him.

The celebrating guardians were stunned into silence however, when the guardian standing tall collapsed and fell from the sky, The moment of triumph turned to one of horror. When the lifeless body hit the ground. The unerring crash echoed across the city and was felt by every man, woman and child still present. The lumbering form of Ghaul moved up to where the guardian was standing just moments before. His immense form silhouetted by the traveler behind him.

A faint corona of light surrounded Ghaul amplifying his voice to reach the ears of all still in the last city

"Come my brothers and sisters, we have a galaxy to conquer.. Leave these light-less cowards to themselves, they are of no threat to us anymore"

The stomp of the Cabal's armored feet amplified and made louder by the streets of the city spread quickly, worming its way into the ears of all who bore witness. Their quick march back to their ships taking seconds, a contrast to the slow retreat just moments before.

Guardians and humans alike cried out in despair as their crippled god rose with the ships into orbit and sped off into the depths of space. The Traveler lost and their light gone many fell to the ash covered ground and wept, their loss echoed a thousand-fold by the ghosts who remained. After a moment those ghosts returned to their sorely wounded and began the slow process of healing the broken few who still remained.

* * *

Deep in the wilds of the EDZ a rickety bar existed to serve the few settlers that made a home so far from civilization. While it slowly crumbled many a person stopped to quench their thirst or drown their sorrow. In this backwater, a lone exo lay his head on his arms. His aging chassis bore the scars and scratches that afflicted all Guardians, none of them got off scot-free and he in particular had been dealing with the repercussions for quite some time. His once stately robes were in tatters, stained from excessive use and in dire need of repair. At this point they were more patches than original cloth, much like himself. The bond he once wore so proudly, a trophy from some long-forgotten battle on the lunar surface, was strangely absent from his bicep, the only remainder was a strip of unstained cloth on his robes, a reminder of his glory days.

He had been trekking through the wilderness trying to find someway to restore his light, following in the footsteps of 'The Guardian' when he stumbled upon this out of the way oasis. He had been relaxing, trying to recover some of his strength before continuing his search, when the call came through over his radio. The guardians were making a last ditch attempt to take down Ghaul before he finished the construction of the light trap that covered The Traveler, a foolhardy endeavour that would just get them killed. He had run thousands of simulations that all pointed to the same outcome. Ghaul would win, and they would lose. His ghost hovered nearby, clearly bothered by his guardians inaction.

"Ashton…" He sighed heavily, expanding his shell and raising his voice he tried again

"Ashton!" he yelled, finally gaining his attention, "would you listen to me for a second?"

Instead of answering, he simply nodded

"We need to go to the city, its our last chance to end this invasion and get our light back and you know just as well as I do that there won't be another chance like this"... Ghost hovered for a moment, letting his words sink in. Before he could continue he was interrupted by Ashton

"Go ahead" He mumbled, "Go ahead and die" his voice trailed off into silence.

"You know we can't afford to stay, this is the last hope we have of beating him" Ghost argued, trying to make his guardian see reason.

"No… we couldn't beat him before and we had the light, and the full strength of the city" The logic in his head preventing him from seeing the bigger picture, "Now he has control of the light and is on territory he controls" Ashton shook his head and turned his eyes back to the glass in front of him, "we've both run the simulations, it's an impossible fight"

"But we have to-" Ghost retorted before being cut-off by a now shouting Ashton

"We don't have to do anything!" He stood up and pointed a finger a Ghost, "All we will find at the city is our death's", he paused for a moment before returning to his seat, before turning his head towards Ghost, "And I'm not ready to go just yet"

His ghost looked down for a moment before returning his single glowing optic to Ashtons own lidded eyes.

"Please don't make me do this alone" Ghost pleaded, the barest hint of desperation rising in his voice

Hesitating for the briefest of moments Ashton paused, then turned back to his drink and took a deep drought before returning his head back to his arms.

"Fine" His ghost spoke with no trace of emotion, "Don't look for me". After waiting a moment longer to see if Ashton would change his mind, he sped off towards the city.

Ashton waved at the bartender who filled slowly walked over and filled his cup with an unknown beverage. Swiping at the drink he downed it in one go, closing his eyes as small tears ran down his cheeks. Slowly wiping them away he returned his head to his arms, and settled in for the long night.

* * *

Wow, first chapter up and I have to say I'm super excited about this story. Leave a review if you like it so far and as always constructive criticism is appreciated.

-The Beagle


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Peace was never an option

-20 Years, 3 months, 8 days, 4 hours and 8 minutes since the Traveler's departure-

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Far into the untamed wilds of the European Dead Zone, secrets and stories were scattered throughout the near endless sprawl of trees. The thousands of miles of forest were broken up by settlements and buildings dotted over the landscape. Many of these hosted the last remnants of humanity on the continent, providing security and comfort after the fall of the Last City.

One of these clearings held Ashtons home and workshop. A bunker built for some rich nobody during the golden age. With its old master long dead, it served very well as a concealed base of operations. Over time the growth of forest had formed a near perfect privacy screen of leafy green vines and branches, providing security and safety; a rarity in a world without the Traveler.

His solitary life was interrupted only by his need for supplies, which he bartered for from nearby settlements, often trading knowledge or his services for food and various items of value. The townspeople enjoyed his visits as he was a brief spark of excitement among the drudgery of life in the EDZ.

He would often regale the children of these settlements with stories of the light-wielders, champions of the traveler and guardians of humanity. They would huddle close to the fire as he spoke of Oryx, the Taken King and his army of enthralled servants.

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Lowering his voice to barely a whisper, he told of the many great evils Oryx had committed, and the good people he had slain throughout his brief stay in Saturn's orbit. His whispered words carried to the Adults nearby, their faces stoic as they remembered those dark days, many alive when Oryx had come; seeking vengeance for his son.

As the story reached its triumphant end, many of the children stood and cheered as he told of Oryx's defeat at the hands of the five brave guardians. Who had traversed the many trials of the dreadnought to face the King himself atop his throne of corpses. Many of the adults looked on in confusion, they knew guardian fire-teams were composed of six not five. However, they did not question the story-teller, he brought them a small glimpse as what once was, and that was enough.

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Ashton cleared his head and stepped out of the cool dark of the bunker and into the brisk morning air, small droplets of dew sparkled like diamonds on the blades of grass. The temperature was fairly mild, and a small breeze blew through the unkempt grass, causing it to ripple and flow like a glittering ocean. He watched the sunrise with a small smile crossing his features, content with the small joy of the various warm colors painting the sky with broad strokes, in awe of the artistry of nature. Exhaling slowly, he turned around and pushed a button near the door causing it to close silently behind him.

He wore simple camouflage, having hung up his robes long ago. He had renounced his office in light of his failure to protect the last city and prevent the travellers departure. He was planning on destroying them, but he couldn't bring himself to. In addition to the clothes on his back he carried a small pistol on his hip and a scout rifle slung over his shoulder. He also had a small bag that contained various medical supplies and extra ammo. This time he also carried a few small trinkets to barter with, as people tended to be much more welcoming to those bearing gifts.

Squaring his shoulders he set off towards the tree line, his boots slowly getting wet as he strolled through the still damp grass. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the horizon, keeping his head on a swivel as he moved through the flat plain of grass. Careful not to leave a trail he doubled back and created false trails as he moved away from his home, using the skills from a hunter he once knew. His guilt intensified when he realized he could no longer remember that hunters name, or recall his face. He did this for miles, his paranoia and caution turning the short trek into an hours long ordeal.

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After hours of ensuring no evidence of his passage remained he came out of the forest near a dilapidated highway, its once clean concrete surface cracked and crumbling. Despite the damage it still served as a navigational tool and provided safe passage to the few people who still roamed the wastes of the EDZ.

Shaking his head he gazed along what remained of its length and began trudging along the old concrete, rifle braced on his shoulder, his eyes roaming back and forth as he scanned for hostiles. He looked at a small compass on his wrist, found North and started following the road.

Hours had passed and Ashton sat down in the shadow of what was once an overpass, and rested for a moment. The day was warm and there was the slightest breeze in the air. It reminded him of the long summers at the tower, when he would sit under that great oak tree by Banshee and study for hours. Before he knew he was out cold, lost in the better days of the past.

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Coming too just a few hours later, the distant sound of war drums reached his ears. His mind was still hazy from his little nap so he nestled himself deeper into shadow and readied his rifle. As they drew closer, the sound of boots on concrete, and the harsh voices of soldiers reached his ears. They clearly had the same idea of following the old highway to their destination, its ragged structure acting as a guide.

Beginning to pick out the words of their marching tune, he recognized the lyrics. It was the song of Atlas, the great savior of humanity. Following the departure of the traveller he had unified the last city and most of the American continent under his banner. Following an almost universal vote he became the new and only vanguard. For a while things were good, the reconstruction of the last city was well on its way, most of the remaining forces of darkness left, chasing the traveller to its new home. People were happy and at peace for the first time since the golden age. As time went on, Atlas started securing exponentially more power through backroom politics and "Accidents" to dissenters. It all came crashing down during the night of 'Noctem cruore'. He sent out his chosen elite to assassinate everyone in any position that could contest his claim. The city bled that night, and when the sun rose over the city he stood alone as the sole ruler of his new kingdom.

Over the last twenty years he had reinforced and secured himself in the americas, ensuring that his hold over the country was absolute. He did this with an army of lightless guardians and conscripts from the countryside. After fully securing his rule in the americas he crossed the Atlantic and began taking control of Europe, settlement by settlement.

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As the war party reached the overpass a voice called out from near the front.

"We shall rest here!" A larger and more armored soldier gestured to the overpass they were on, "We continue at dawn!"

A collective sigh emanated from many of the soldiers as they collapsed to the ground, clearly exhausted. Meanwhile Ashton was patiently waiting for his opportunity to make a break for the tree line in the distance. He slowly edged out of cover he dimmed his usually bright blue eyes and gazed up. After counting to fifty and still seeing nothing, he began to creep out from cover. Before he could move more than a few feet he heard a strangled cry from the overpass above, the yell echoed through the surrounding countryside. Without even turning around he knew where it had come from. This war party was escorting conscripts, to be added to Atlas's ever growing army. He paused, his instincts were screaming at him to keep moving forward to the treeline and safety, but his heart was yelling at him to turn around and save those he had vowed to protect all those years ago. To be honest, his heart won.

"Traveler be damned" he whispered to himself, before slowly spinning around back towards the overpass, and the glow of campfires. Reaching the edge of their camp but still concealed by shadow he sat and waited. Once most of the soldiers had turned in for the night, he would ambush the guards and free the prisoners. There was a nearby resistance cell that could take in the prisoners once freed, then he would head on his way. The plan lacked imagination but it was simple and held the most chance of success. Just before he settled in to wait, he heard that strangled cry again, and he saw a young woman being seized rather roughly by the wrist. Many of the prisoners turned away, shame crossing their feature as they felt the sickening happiness of not being chosen.

Continuing to resist, she pulled against the soldiers superior strength. What she didn't see however was the now irate soldier reaching for his sidearm, clearly intent on ending her little rebellion.

"Well, there goes that plan" he muttered to himself.

Mentally preparing himself, Ashton stood from his concealed position, aimed his rifle and fired a round right into the soldiers center of mass. Relaxing his shoulders and breathing out he fired again, this time putting a round right between his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he ran for a piece of collapsed concrete, using it for cover.

The war party surged out of their tents, some still tightening armor straps and checking weapons. After a moment they formed up around their leader, a hulk of a man who bore the mark of a Titan. Even without the mark, Ashton would have pegged him for a Titan the moment he laid eyes on him. The way he presented himself, his immense stature, and the light machine gun he held casually in one hand all indicative of a Titan.

"You can come out little rebel" he yelled towards Ashton's position, his voice booming in the short distance between them "Exo's are highly valued to Atlas, all will be forgiven if you join up with us"

Ashton didn't even have to think before yelling back a reply

"I'm afraid not, you'll just have to content yourselves with returning empty-handed or not at all!"

The Titan adjust his grip and his voice took on a more serious tone as he called back towards Ashton

"I'm gonna give you to the count of five robot" He called out, before sighting in on the piece of cover he was behind, "Until we turn you into scrap!"

"Thanks for the heads-up" Ashton whispered to himself

"Five…" The leaders voice echoed in the silence, prisoners and soldiers alike tensed up with anticipation

"Four…"

Ashton did a quick ammo check, and a row of gleaming bronze shells greeted his eyes "Keep me safe will you old girl" He whispered to his rifle, before sliding the full magazine back into place.

"Three…" He squared his shoulders and breathed deeply, eyes closed as he focused himself on the coming battle.

"Two…" The conscripts and soldiers were stunned when a shot rang out and a neat little hole appeared in the forehead of the Titan in charge. Arms braced on a piece of rubble and pistol pointed where the Titan used to be, was the girl from earlier.

Not one to miss and opportunity Ashton spun out from cover, the chemical stimulants in his body increasing his reaction speed, and slowing down his perception of time very slightly. Taking in the formation of soldiers he picked his targets. Because of his increased perception he did notice the rest of the soldiers sighting in, sights trained on what they believed to be the larger threat. He knew he wouldn't be able to dodge them all, instead he focused entirely on taking as many of the soldiers down with him. Luckily he had taken most of the attention off the girl, leaving her free to drop a sizable portion of their forces.

He pulled back on the trigger and his trusty scout rifle did the rest. He didn't even pause to see its effect before immediately sighting another target and firing again, using his whole body to control the recoil and re-acquire targets faster. He acted on instinct, using skills that had become intuitive, drilled into him by thousands of hours of practice. He managed to down three more, before the soldiers got a grip and started firing. His pain circuits rushed signals to his brain, warning him of damage as a few shots impacted his chassis. He quickly turned those off, they were just another distraction. Two more went down before he collapsed, the servos in his legs no longer responding to his inputs and buckling. He discarded his rifle and drew his sidearm from his hip. He continued to kill soldiers with a mechanical efficiency, his vision getting hazy as his body began the process of shutting down. After what felt like minutes the gunshots faded to silence, and he lost his grip on his pistol.

His mind wandered as the damage began to affect his core systems. He was mildly alarmed when his pistol slipped from his hand, but that thought was quickly lost to the haze and static of his failing body. He quickly lost consciousness. The last thing he saw was that girl applying pressure to his various wounds and calling for help from the rest of the conscripts.

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He felt the sun on his face, the glittering marble of the tower surrounding him, and the sights and sounds of bustling guardians reached his ears. His eyes were wide as gazed at all that once was. His eyes found the shimmering pendants, blowing gracefully in the breeze and the glittering lights of the city below. He felt like he home again, for the first time since the city fell he was happy. He very quickly remembered that the city was gone, and that he was standing in a lie.

"Lost in your studies again?" A familiar voice questioned from beside him. He turned slowly and was stunned to see Ikora staring back at him. He continued to stand there staring, unable to process that she was there beside him. A spectre from his past, still

"Must be something really important to keep you quiet for this long"

A thin smile slowly appeared on her face as her statement broke him out of his reverie

"I…" he paused, trying to piece together a sentence,

"I lost my way Ikora… and people who trusted and counted on me died because of it… and I'm not really sure I deserve to find it again"

She frowned, before turning and facing the traveler, floating silently in the sky, impassive and unmoving as always.

"Warlocks are unique among guardians Ashton… we covet knowledge and wisdom above all else… we do not concern ourselves with the untamed wilds of the solar system, or the unbroken walls of our city" She turned back to face him, "We face forwards, into the great unknown and seek a path to better all of us"

"I know Ikora but I-" He stopped when she laid a restraining hand on his arm before continuing

"You may have lost your way, but wallowing in self-pity is not how you get back"

He nodded, his head lowered as he felt the weight of his guilt and regret, all those he had sworn to protect. They had perished because of his inaction, and inability to overcome his own fear.

"Do you remember the first thing I taught you, all those years ago?" She questioned him, rousing him from his downward spiral of self-pity

He looked up, his mind racing back to when his robes were an alabaster white, and his mind fresh from his first revival.

"You taught me that knowledge is never free, only failure can truly enlighten the individual"

"That's right, in not learning from your experience you fail only yourself"

"I think I see now" Ashton replied, his mind already racing as plans and ideas rushed through it. "I know what I must do now… thank you teacher"

He bowed slowly before the cold talons of sleep returned him to his deep slumber.

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**Another chapter done and I can't thank you enough for reading. Leave a review if you feel I deserve it and until next chapter**

**-Beagle Out**


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally, a new chapter out and I have to say I am pretty happy with how this one turned out. As always read and review if youd like.**  
**Until next time, Beagle out**

* * *

Hoofbeats echoed along cobbled streets. A pair of draft horses, their coats purest white, sleek flanks covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Eyes blinkered to prevent a panic and manes intricately laced with small black beads. Behind them a black and white chariot rumbled slowly, its sides and front covered in intricate designs rendered in beautiful detail. The chariot had a single occupant, a large man covered from neck to toe in armor of exquisite craftsmanship, its surface decorated to emphasize stature and build. His head was left bare to the crowds lining the streets, his visage bearing a large smile as he tossed glimmer to the populace cheering his name. He glared around at his people, their cheering echoing off the building surrounding them.

"Atlas! Atlas! Atlas!" They heaped their praises upon him as the procession continued. Sweeping his eyes over the crowd, his gaze settled on a young woman staring back at him. Her posture was rigid and she stood tall, emotionless, and uncaring as Atlas hardened his stare.

He growled to himself and raised a single fist. The procession slowed to a stop and Atlas stepped out of his chariot. They cheered even louder, enamored by his presence and charisma. Waving to the crowd briefly, he motioned to one of his many armored guards and whispered in his ear, before resuming eye contact with the woman in the crowd.

"Bring her to the throne room" He turned his gaze to the guard, "ensure you are discreet" then he motioned him away.

Smiling once more he strode to a young boy in the front of the crowd. Crouching down low he handed the boy a small trinket before rustling his hair. Mounting up he motioned the procession forwards once again.

The rest of the journey progressed with little issue. The Tower used to stand here but had since been replaced with Atlas's palace. its form still recognizable despite extensive reconstruction. Upon entering he removed the ceremonial armor in favor of his robes of office, a simple white gown featuring black accents, miles more comfortable and perfect for his official duties inside the palace. He strode through the corridors, projecting power and grace to the small gathering of officials whispering in the corridors. As he approached the immense doors to his throne room, two Titans standing guard opened them and saluted as he passed. A wiry man announced his arrival to the room.

"His grace the King, Atlas" breathing deeply he continued "Slayer of Riksis, Savior of the First City, Protector of Humanity and Lord of All the Light Touches"

Just as he finished announcing titles Atlas reached his throne and sat, leaning his chin upon one fist. In front of him was the woman, kneeling, and in breach of court etiquette, staring him straight in the eyes. He stared back just as intensely, looking for any weakness in her steely gaze. After a moment he sat back and motioned for her to stand, the guard moved to lift her but she shrugged him off and rose herself. The guard raised a hand as if to punish her for her disrespect. Just before his hand struck Atlas's voice echoed through the throne room.

"Enough!" Atlas ordered, his tone casual but forceful, the guard froze his expression that of surprise before opening his mouth to protest.

"But sir, she-" the guard made to explain himself but was cut off by the second smile that had just appeared on his neck. He fell to the ground and clutched at his ruined throat, gasping for a breath that would never come, a large pool of blood slowly spreading from his now weakly spasming body. A woman was standing behind him and after quickly wiping her blade on the guard's tunic, she stepped over his body and to Atlas' side. Dressed in black with a mottled camouflage cloak around her shoulders she sheathed her short sword and bowed deeply to Atlas before kneeling next to him.

"Very well done Naila" Atlas complimented, "If only I had a hundred of you"

"You honor me your grace" She replied, not a shred of remorse on her visage

Rising from his throne he slowly strode towards the woman in front of him. Coming face to face with her, he locked his gaze to hers and began speaking.

"Your will is strong, you're like me in that sense" He began walking in slow circles, eyeing her up and down,

"That is the end of our similarities, however," Stopping in front of her once more he reached out a hand and slowly dragged his fingers down the side of her face before using one finger to raise her chin. "Where you find strength in compassion… I see only weakness" He dropped his hand from her chin, "And that is why I am King, and you are subject" Before he could continue she started talking.

"Well then 'King', if you are so fucking great then why do we; your 'esteemed' subjects, starve while you prance about in your pretty armor, and get your cock sucked by your adoring fans, yelling your name in the streets" While she talked he had turned to face her, a patient smile on his face. After letting the room settle into silence until all that was left was the sound of her deep breaths as she recovered from her 'explanation'.

"You are lucky I admire you girl" he admitted, a light touch of scorn in his voice "I'll have you know there is a very good reason for my 'prancing' as you so eloquently put it" he spoke softly, moving closer to her, "It is a tool, keeps the people hopeful, keeps them… docile" he paused, "After the Traveler left there was chaos, rioting, and looting among other… things; I brought order to the city the only way those simpletons understand, absolute authority"

"And the only cost was our freedom" The woman retorted, deep malice suffusing her voice

His mouth formed a stern line when he paused for a moment as if considering her words. After a moment his smile returned and he reached into a deep pocket in his robes.

"While you may not understand, I saved this city"

He pulled a small pouch out from his robes and handed it to her, "A gift for your troubles"

he nodded, then turned around and sat back on his throne.

"But" The woman began to speak but he sharply cut her off

"That will be all, I'll take what you have told me into consideration… now go" he motioned to the door.

She opened her mouth as if to keep talking but a sharp look from one of the guards caused her to snap it shut. She then turned sharply and left, the doors echoing shut behind her.

Leaning over to Naila, still standing silent beside him, he whispered in her ear.

"Follow her to her home" after thinking for a moment he continued "once there, lock the doors and burn it to the ground", He then leaned back and smiled, sitting tall in his throne once more. As silent as a shadow, she slipped out a side door without another word.

* * *

Ashton groaned as his systems slowly re-booted. Much like waking from a deep slumber, his once human mind was slow to process the stimuli slowly flooding his senses. The light from the small window next to him blinded his eyes, the blanket cocooning him felt like a ten-ton weight on his chest, and the small noises of his chassis were almost deafening. His memory of the battle rushed back all at once and he sat bolt upright, combat stimulants flooding his system as his danger response activated. Sitting stock still his sensors tuned for any hostile signs.

"In-out-in-out," he thought to himself, and his systems slowed as he calmed down. Gazing around he took in his surroundings, noticing the door had no lock and he was not restrained. He remembered the woman who had tried to help him just before he fell unconscious and came to the conclusion he was in safe hands, at least for now.

Sighing, he looked down at his upper body. The once pristine plasteel plates had been slowly replaced with whatever Ashton could find as he performed field repairs throughout his time in the wilds. He was surprised to find some of the worst he wounds he received over the years had been patched up with surprising accuracy. Many of the repairs were new, however, and he guessed they were a result of his attack on the patrol earlier.

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he pondered on his next move. His attack would not go unnoticed, there would be more patrols coming with more troops and heavier guns. His plans to lay-low were effectively gone and he mentally cursed his decision.

"What were you thinking, you traveler-damned fool" His eyes closed as he whispered to himself, "thought you could make up for it huh?"

"Make up for what?" A voice questioned from nearby

Mentally cursing his inattentiveness, he opened his eyes and looked towards the door. He was surprised to see the woman from earlier. She leaned against the doorway with a smirk on her face. A large mottled yellow and purple bruise surrounded her right eye and her wrist had a bandage covering it.

"We humans aren't as easy to fix as you exo's" She admitted as she walked towards him, "But that doesn't mean you don't need rest"

She moved her hand to push him back into the bed and raised an eyebrow when he grabbed her wrist.

"I don't need rest, I need to get back home" He gently pushed her hand away and shoved the covers off his legs. As he swung them off the edge of the bed she spoke up.

"I wouldn't suggest that... I like to think I did a good job patching you up but you're in no condition to be walking let alone trekking miles through the wilderness"

He merely shrugged and moved to stand, as his weight left the bed and was put fully on his legs, servos that had been used and abused for years buckled under his weight and he fell onto one knee. He groaned as several new warnings popped up on his HUD.

"Fuck me!" Grunting he tried to rise to his feet but his legs wouldn't respond. Luckily the woman was there to help him back to his seated position on the bed.

"Shoulda listened", She placed her hands on her hips and a smirk crossed her face, "Give it time and you'll be better than ever"

He grumbled to himself but realizing he was physically incapable of moving around he resigned himself to bed-rest. His curiosity was piqued however upon closer inspection of the repairs finding she had used plasteel for most of them.

"Where in the hell did you find armor grade-plasteel in the EDZ of all places?"

She shrugged, "you'd be surprised what you find lying around" she paused before continuing, "Lotta guardians ran from the last city when the red legion attacked, some of them couldn't take it when the traveler left" she left the rest unsaid as a frown crossed her face.

"On the upside, can't use it for much else so figured a couple of plates wouldn't go astray to repair our little hero" She turned and smiled at him. "Figure this is the least I could do for you saving my life". She held his gaze for a moment longer before rising to her feet. Placing her hand on the doorknob she paused.

"Thank you" Genuine gratitude in her voice left, before closing the door softly behind her.

The next morning Ashton tried to get out of bed again. His joints creaked as he stood up and he grunted with exertion. Leaning heavily on the wall he slowly edged his way towards the door. After what seemed like miles he finally reached it. Leaning across his body he stretched for the handle, resting his hand on it he was surprised at how much focus it took to grip the damn thing. After getting a good hold on it with some modicum of strength he managed to turn it and pull the door open. Instead of the open-air he expected, he was greeted with Risa's smiling face.

"Whatcha doin their bud?" She asked, talking through her smile. The question was rhetorical so he responded with a deep, defeated sigh. She set down the spare parts she was carrying and slipped his arm over her shoulder. As they slowly made their way back to the bed she tried her best to reason with him.

"You know I'm not done saving your life yet right?" she paused as she helped lower him onto the bed, "Give me some time to find replacements for those leg servos you broke and we will get you back on your feet lickety-split" she finished with a smile, stepping back towards the spare parts still laying on the floor. Crouching down she started shuffling through the parts in front of her.

"So Ashton... when was your last reset?" she questioned

Ashton went to reply but his quiet disinterest turned to alarm when he remembered that he had never told her his name. He figured the direct approach was best so he didn't beat around the bush. Speaking slowly he asked her, "I didn't think we had been introduced, how do you know my name?"

The woman slapped her forehead before turning around to face him, holding out her hand she introduced herself, "The name's Risa, pleased to meetcha".

He reached and shook her hand, "The pleasure's all mine... But you didn't answer my question"

"Not my place to tell you" before he could respond she held up a hand, "Just… trust me okay?"

He looked into her eyes for a moment before giving her a slow nod.

"Now Ashton, when was your last reset?" she repeated her question from earlier, returning to the parts on the floor.

"Uhh, about twenty-five years ago if memory serves"

She stood up rather slowly and stood still for a moment. Slowly dragging a hand down her face she sighed before gathering the pile of parts back into her arms. "None of these match your chassis," she told him rather abruptly. "Give me some time and I'll find something… I promise"

He nodded, accepting the situation for what it was.

* * *

Ashton tried his best to quell his desire to leave, knowing logically his recovery would be faster if he simply let his body rest. She was as stubborn as a mule when it came to his rest and made sure he stayed put, in her words "trauma is trauma, even if your body is fine the mind needs to recover".

Hearing footsteps approaching, he sat up in bed. He was not surprised when he saw Risa coming through the door, however, he was surprised when she entered backward dragging something behind her. He raised an eyebrow questioning what she could be dragging into his room. His curiosity turned to disdain when she got the thing in his room. He was not happy to see she had brought a wheelchair with her.

Risa pushed it next to the bed and walked towards him, an evil smirk on her face.

"Oh hell no, not happening!" Ashton protested.

"Not even if I say please" she clapped her hands together and batted her eyelashes at him

If he had cheeks he'd be blushing, but he shrugged it off and pointed a finger in her direction. "I am not a cripple, just give me crutches or something"

"Oh, but we can't have you hurting yourself now" She reasoned "And your legs are literally non-functional sooo... as of right now" Then she motioned to the chair.

He grumbled, "Fine, but there had better be a good reason to humiliate me with this contraption"

"Our leader wants to meet you; plus it's about time you got some fresh air"

"Exo's don't breathe, but I see your point" he swung his legs over the edge then shuffled into the chair.

She got behind the chair and grunted, getting the chair moving with some effort. "You are fucking heavy!"

"Allow me" he waved her off and started pushing himself. He was satisfied to see his arms still worked properly as he effortlessly propelled himself forward.

Opening the door, the sunlight was blinding to his eyes. His sensors took a moment to adjust, but what he didn't expect was a surprisingly uniform town. Composed of fifteen or sixteen well-built houses following the main thoroughfare that led to a slightly larger building that stood out from the rest. Risa's house rested on a bluff that looked over the town, separate from the rest, but the stunning view of the distant forests more than made up for it.

Looking down at the town he saw a couple of children running around and quite a few more adults going about small chores and tasks to keep the place running. Ashton looked towards Risa while they slowly progressed down the rather shallow path to the town, "Who exactly am I going to meet?"

"A very important woman… she has been waiting to meet you for a while now" Risa answered vaguely

"Great, suppose I'll just have to wait and find out then?" He asked hopefully, still pretty sure he was wasn't gonna get anything close to an answer

Risa simply smiled and gave a light chuckle. Continuing their journey through the town, people stopped and looked on in interest. Even when the Traveler still watched over humanity Exo's were rare, nowadays even more so. He tried to ignore the stares, but he'd never quite gotten used to them. Risa continued at a steady pace beside him, content to be silent. He was silent for about a minute, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"How'd you get so good with machines?" A simple question, but one he saw slightly bothered her.

"Why do you ask?"

"Not just anyone can put an Exo back together, in fact I can't think of anyone doing it since the tower fell" He mused, genuinely impressed at her mechanical skill

She scowled "I'd rather not talk about it"

Ashton while inquisitive, wasn't too much of an ass to recognize it was not the time to push that question, "Fair enough, didn't mean to pry" He backed off and instead looked ahead, seeing that larger house he spotted earlier looming in front of him." is this the place?" He asked while gazing up at her.

A smile crossed her face and she gave a small nod

"Not exactly wheelchair friendly" He noted the distinct lack of a ramp

Risa offered one of her muscular shoulders and Ashton reached up, laying his arm across them.

"You're still heavy" she grunted out as they moved up the three or so steps onto the porch. Dumping him in an ancient-looking rocking chair, she wiped a hand across her brow before letting her hands settle on her hips. "Wait here, I'll be right back"

He nodded before settling back in the chair, which creaked in protest. Then he settled in to wait for the mysterious woman.


End file.
